


In Karhide

by cherrysass



Category: The Left Hand of Darkness - Ursula K. Le Guin
Genre: (but in a good way), Alien Cultural Differences, Crying After Sex, Cunnilingus, Declarations Of Love, Established Relationship, Explicit Sexual Content, Hand Jobs, Multi, Nipple Play, POV First Person, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Teeth, sort of, this is a mess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-14
Updated: 2017-02-14
Packaged: 2018-09-24 07:27:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,464
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9711026
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cherrysass/pseuds/cherrysass
Summary: Genly and Estraven are not new to spending kemmer together. But this time, something is different.





	

**Author's Note:**

> The title is a reference to Ursula's short story Coming of Age in Karhide which. this fic was heavily inspired by.

I was starting to get used to Estraven’s kemmer cycle, I knew he started sometime earlier today, and that tonight we would be together, no longer as aliens, as we had done so before. Every time he went into kemmer it felt a small wonder, an honor, to me that he chose to lay beside me instead of one of his own people (though, recently I had begun to feel more and more as if I were Gethenian rather than Human, from being around them, being around  _ Estraven _ so much. But whether he had changed his thinking of me in the same way I did not know, I did not even know whether he ever needed to change his perception of me as I had).

We had put no word to our relationship, so far, and I was hesitant to try and name it, for fear he would want know word for us, save friends. But with Estraven in bed with me, very rapidly going into full kemmer, it was hard to not want a word for whatever it was that we had, and to feel as though we had transcended past friends. He kissed me and though we had kissed before the sensation of heat he sent through me never lessened in intensity, and that very thoroughly pushed all thoughts from my mind. Estraven’s kiss was hotter than a fire, warmer than anything I had experienced on this planet, and was worth a month's wait between occurrences.

As Estraven pulled away, he very deliberately grazed his teeth over my bottom lip, and it felt as though my heart stuttered as my breath did. I often forgot that his teeth were far sharper than my human ones, being accustomed to seeing Gethenians with sharp teeth they hardly seemed out of place after all this time. And generally, for my sake, he was cautious with them. But some times during his kemmer cycle, times when he was not so careful, I felt as though I was experiencing the rush and fire of kemmer myself. He gave me a knowing look in his dark eyes as he moved away and I struggled to conceal the shiver that went through me. We moved in synchronization, him sitting back as I followed him upwards until I was sitting upright and he straddled my lap. 

“Well, Genry?” He did not sound as though he was asking me something, he sounded as though he were offering me some sort of challenge. He smirked at me as I tried not to think too much about what he could do with his teeth- I was surely already blushing, but I was not alone in that. A light flush colored his cheeks as well, and while it was hard to tell whether that was simply due to him being in kemmer or not it did not matter too much. 

I had no words to respond to him, so rather than risk embarrassing myself by speaking, I leaned in and kissed him. I could still feel the remnant of his smile against my lips as he returned the kiss. Estraven’s cold hands slipped under my coat while his tongue swept across my lower lip. I gasped, and he took advantage of that, his tongue slipping past my teeth. He was skilled with his tongue, and I was grateful to be sitting for his kiss made me go weak in the knees. But I did not want to be overcome so easily, and I had learned some tricks of my own (mostly from him). I ran one hand through his long hair, cupping the back of his head to deepen the kiss. I swiped my tongue across his bottom lip at the same time I slid my free hand up his back, tracing patterns along his spine. He shuddered against me and his hand on my hip tightened its grip ever so slightly. He grabbed my upper lip between his teeth and tugged, not hard but enough to make me shudder and moan. My hand in his hair pulled slightly but he did not seem to care.

When we finally broke the kiss, we were both flushed and breathing heavily. He looked at me with dark, lust-filled eyes and it was as though a shock went through me. Under his gaze I could not hold back his name as it spilled unwittingly from my lips.

“Therem,” I did not quite moan, but the hoarse whisper of his name that came from me was ardent in both love and lust. 

“Genry,” Estraven hummed in response, cupping my cheek with his hand briefly before moving to gently push off my coat. Once that was gone we rid each other of our shirts, growing more fervorous as we moved to more intimate touching. I looked at him briefly before we touched again, and something about him seemed slightly different from our previous encounters, but then his hands were on me and I could think of nothing else.

Our hands roamed, touching and teasing each other. From our previous sexual encounters I was learning his body, how his ears were sensitive and how he enjoyed nails down his back. And he knew me as well, how any touch to my neck would have me shivering and, I suspected, he had guessed my fascination with his teeth. He leaned in, kissing my neck lightly before scraping sharp teeth over my pulse and I moaned as I clung to him to keep myself steady. He did so again and my heart skipped a beat. He shifted in my lap, down my neck and across my collarbone, pausing every few seconds to nip at my skin, scraping his teeth across it or biting and lavishing a section with his tongue. I was shaking under his ministrations, raking my blunt nails down his back. He bit and licked and sucked and kissed one spot at the place where my neck and shoulder met until I was sure I would have a plainly visible mark there, despite my dark skin. 

We were both shaking and breathing heavily by the time he pulled away again. I could feel that he left a bruise but it did not hurt, instead it sent a thrill through me that I had not expected but was certainly not complaining about. Estraven was looking at me with intense, lust blown eyes, his gaze raking every inch of my exposed skin. I looked him over with the same intensity he gazed at me and I realized what has seemed different to me.

Estraven had taken the female form in kemmer, for the first time since we started sleeping together. I could tell he was fully in kemmer now, and could see what I had not noticed earlier: in the female form of kemmer he had breasts, like a human woman. His form was otherwise the same, from what I could tell as he was only shirtless, but presumably the rest of him had changed as well.

I grappled with this for a moment. I still thought of him as “he” in this form, though a year ago I may have called him “she” and looked perhaps with disdain instead of the wonder I did now. For now to me calling Estraven “he” carried no gender expectations that it had when I arrived on this planet. Still, this situation gave me pause. I had never had sex with anyone other than him, and previously he had only been male (as close to male as he could be, given his lack of a gender). This was truly a test of me; did I really accept him for who he was? I found within myself, that the answer was yes. He was still Estraven to me, and once my initial surprise had worn off, all I felt was curiosity.

As I came back to myself in the present, I saw that he was watching me. His expression was mixed, for he looked eager and anticipatory as he always did in full kemmer, but he also looked hesitant, for he knew this was new to me. He may have even seemed apprehensive, afraid I may reject him like this. His fear was unwarranted and I did not want to add to it.

“Well this is new,” I remarked, a slight grin on my face to try and ease his mind. He seemed to get flustered and looked away briefly before looking back to meet my gaze.

“Is this unwelcome?” He asked, doubt evident in his voice. It was odd, nearly painful, to hear Estraven so unsure after getting used to his confidence. He knew my inexperience, and my lack of knowledge of women, and I knew he was giving me a chance to back out if i was uncomfortable. But I had not been uncomfortable around him in a long time, and this certainly was not going to change that.

“No, of course not, Therem.” I leaned forward to kiss under his jaw, “This is you, after all. I will not, I daresay I could not spurn you now. It would pain me nearly as much as it would pain you.” I spoke honestly, though I was afraid I said too much for he was silent and still for a brief moment. Then he kissed me, quickly and fiercely and full of something unspoken, and I returned it in kind. Our teeth clashed in our mutual haste and need, and we bit and pulled at each others’ lips until, when we finally separated, both our lips were kiss swollen. I knew I was blushing, but he was as well, and though we were both panting and out of breath, we were grinning at each other like lovesick teenagers.

“Genry,” Estraven breathed, and his voice had not gotten low like it did when he took the male form, but it was raspy and no less inciting. He sounded as though he had something he wanted to add, but could not find the words, and instead skimmed his hand down my spine and pulled me closer so we were sitting nearly chest to chest. I shuddered.

“Therem,” My voice was shaky but I tried to convey to him that I understood, and he needed not say more if he couldn’t. He smiled at me and had I been in a different state of mind (either more clear or less reserved) I would have bespoken him, professed my love right then and there. Instead, I leaned in to press a trail of kisses down his neck. He gasped as I swiped my tongue along his collarbone, threading his hands through my hair. I moved down even further still, pressing a kiss to his breast as I had never had the opportunity to do before. His breath stuttered and I could almost feel his heart skip a beat. I kissed again and again, lavishing his chest. He writhed in my arms, pulling my hair and gasping for breath. Had my hands not been on his hips he likely would not have stayed sitting. I pulled away briefly and he arched against me. His face was bright with blush and his eyes were dark and lust-blown.

“Genry…” He panted, and it came out almost as a plea. I gave him a slight smirk before leaning down once more, going to his untouched breast and scraping my teeth lightly on the sensitive skin. He moaned loudly, catching both of us off guard. He still sounded the same as he did in our past sexual encounters, just as beautiful and arousing, and it spurred me onwards. I licked his nipple and his whole body shuddered against mine. I licked and sucked until he was arching up against me uncontrollably, and when I pulled away I could see that I left a mark on his skin. He pulled me into a rough, dizzying kiss and it felt as though we would melt together from the heat of it all. 

I lost track of how long we kissed, entwined in each other. At some point, it could have been minutes or hours, Estraven gently pushed my shoulders and I layed back on the bed. He quickly rid me of my pants and I helped him out of his. We paused, just for a moment, to look each other over. I saw him, different from times before, and yet the same, and I loved him truly and deeply from the bottom of my heart, an emotion that nearly enveloped me. 

I touched him, slowly, teasingly, skimming over his hips and thighs and he shivered. He shifted, his hips hovering right over mine and a small sound of anticipation escaped me. I knew what he wanted, and I wanted this too. Oh how I  _ wanted _ . But I knew I should say something first. I held up a hand and he paused, looking at me with intense, dark eyes, sharp teeth just barely visible behind kiss-swollen lips. He looked beautiful.

“Therem, I do not wish to stop but,” I paused, blushing, “I do not want to accidentally get you pregnant.” He chuckled.

“I doubt you would, being an alien.” He leaned over me, sharp teeth flashing in a grin as his long hair created a curtain around us. I very nearly lost my resolve.

“I doubt so as well, but in this case perhaps we should be cautious,” my breathing was unsteady and I did not sound sure, but after a moment's pause, he nodded.

“Yes, I suppose you’re right.” He conceded with a wry smile. “What instead, then?” His voice dropped to a seductive whisper and my heart skipped a beat.

“Um, well,” I stuttered, flustered, “I could use my mouth on you,” I offered, face hot with embarrassment. His eyes seemed to glow at the suggesting.

“Oh? And how would you do that?” He teased. His tone nearly sent a shiver through me but I wasn’t going to be outdone so quickly.

“Come up here and I will show you,” I said with a quirk of my eyebrow, kissing the air in his direction. To my surprise and delight, he got what I was saying immediately, and blushed brightly. He moved slowly up my body, pausing to press kisses to my chest and neck. Each teasing touch of my skin sent a spark through me, until finally he was kneeling above me. I gave him no time to question me, I simply placed my hands on his hips, leaned up slightly, and swiped my tongue along his inner thigh. He shuddered violently, grasping my hands to steady himself. So I did it again, and again, small, quick flicks all around the area he most desperately wanted contact until he was shaking and breathing raggedly above me.

Estraven was already loud from just my teasing and I could hold back my curiosity no longer. I finally gave him what he wanted; I swept across his sex, once quickly and once slowly in quick succession. His hips jerked and he moaned, loud and rough. I could not see his face very well from this angle, and while I wished I could see his expression, hearing him was more than enough to spur me onwards. I licked, small teasing flicks of my tongue, exploring him. His body was shaking, his nails digging into my hands, and he was wet, and though the taste was a little odd, it was not bad. 

I tasted him, more and more until I licked inwards, as one might with a finger, and at that his heaving breathing was cut off with a hoarse moan. He nearly fell, only just managing to catch himself with his hands above my head, but I did not let up. I moved my tongue and his hips moved with me until he was grinding against me. I pressed my tongue as far as I could inside him and the moan that escaped him was as loud as a scream. 

I was sure if this continued very much longer, and he continued to be this vocal, I would not last myself.

It did seem he was on the brink of orgasm, his hips shaking and small moans and whines pouring from him. I swept my tongue along him, fast, then once more, faster, before licking deep again, and that was enough. He called my name as if praising a savior as he fell over the edge of pleasure, and I lapped up every drop of him I could. He collapsed, half on top of me, half beside me, shaking. I ran a hand soothingly through his hair, and though I was incredibly aroused, I was not impatient. He was beautiful like this, shaking and panting, and I wanted to take this moment in while I could.

After a few moments though, he pulled me into a rough kiss full of sharp teeth and uneven breathing. He kissed and bit my lips as if he was a starving man, and my sounds slipped from my throat into his seamlessly. We kissed and kissed and  _ kissed _ and I didn’t even notice his hand until his dexterous fingers wrapped around me and moved upwards agonizingly slow. I moaned loudly, my eyes nearly rolling back from pleasure, from need. His sharp teeth were at my lips, my chin, my ear, my neck, as his hand slowly sped up, a steadily increasing rhythm that had my hips jerking in time and moans spilling from me uncontrollably. I did not last long, pleasure peaked and I saw white as I nearly screamed his name. It was a rush no words could convey, pure pleasure and pure bliss and more.

We lay, tangled together, basking in the afterglow. I watched him against my chest, trying to get his breathing to even out. His hair was wild and his hooded eyes were still dark as night. I caught myself overwhelmed with affection for him as a had before, so intense a feeling I had never experienced towards another living being. It scared me, it moved me, it stirred something in me I had no word for, or had no word I dare say. I could not hold back the flood of emotions he caused in me, not anymore.

“Therem,” I breathed his name and it felt like release. “Therem,” I repeated and he looked up at me and frowned.

“Genry, why are you crying?” He sounded genuinely concerned, and I realized hot tears were falling down my cheeks but they were not of sadness. 

“I - ” I started, but I did not know if Gethenians cried from happiness like humans did, for all I knew they only cried from sadness and I had lost the words to say.

“Why are you sad? Did I do something wrong?” He furrowed his brows, looking worried and scared, I shook my head vehemently.

“No, I said firmly, though my voice cracked. I wrapped my arms around him, holding him to me, and pressed my nose into his hair. “It is the opposite. I… Therem Harth, I love you. I am in love with you and it overwhelms me. I feel so intensely for you I do not have words, in your language or in mine, to convey this love.” I paused. He was silent and anxiety built up in my chest, so I kept talking as tears continued to fall. “I know in your culture it is taboo for you to commit yourself to more than one lover, much less three, and I do not ask you to nor do I expect you too. But in my culture it is not and I am sure that if I were Gethenian like you it would not change the fact that I love you, and I would have you as kemmering, as partner, as something, if you would have me. But-” He cut me off with a swift, firm kiss. When he pulled away, he wiped a tear from my cheek.

“I have often wondered about your culture, and wondered what you thought of me, for having taken multiple kemmerings, and wanting you as well. But now you say that it does not matter to you, and I finally say I love you too, Genry Ai.” He looked at me as I looked at him, my tears falling slower now. Our gazes were full of emotion, the same emotion, and it felt like something clicked into place.

I kissed him again and he chuckled against my lips. He kissed my eyes and I laughed, and he laughed, and it was a beautiful sound that I wanted to hear every day, and maybe I would be able to.

We lay together, entwined as lovers in kemmer, laughing until we fell asleep, dreaming together.

**Author's Note:**

> Normally I would say "I'm sorry Ursula" but you know what? I read Coming of Age in Karhide, I know whats going on. This is what you wanted, isn't it Ursula??? You're welcome.  
> Also we all know Genly Ai would cry after sex because he's a big weenie but I love him.


End file.
